Non-Con schedule "officially" posted

[Braves4Life]

Any other Chicagoland alumni bummed the are no games in Chicago? I was really hoping for a Northwestern, Chicago State, or even NIU game......
Anyone else starting to think about a road trip up to UW-Milwaukee? Is it possible we bring more fans like the Loyola game? UW-Milwaukee only averaged 5200 at home last year and that include the 10000+ for their game against UW-Madison.

UW-M might as well be in Chicago. BU should still get a BIG Chi-town Alum turnout for this game.

[MacabreMob]

As one who was at both. . .no comparison. The foundation was shaking during the MSU game. The OU game was not nearly as loud. But I'll take that enthusiasm for every home game.

But Ohio was also a postseason game. You simply will not get that from SEMO or SIUE.

But I get your point and agree with those exceptions.

C'mon Squirrel... I was at both too. Both games rocked.

Maybe the final 5 minutes of both those games is more remembered..... we rocked and roared vs Mich St but came up short and the crowd lost it's intensity as it came closer to the end. But the Ohio game was more electric/explosive in the final 5 minutes and then approaching the final ticks of the clock. And we are talking about a difference of 5000 fans in the house.

What one can realize from a game like against Ohio, Cincy, Tulsa is that Carver doesn't have to be sold out to rock the place. And you say it was a post-season tourney. Yea - a tourney you didn't care for and all it did was allow J Les and BU get to 21 wins (again).

Yea... the home Non-con is lack-luster this season. But WHY do we ALWAYS have to find the negative on EVERYTHING?

We make it too hard, we get crushed, limp into conference play and then we can moan about how we didn't make it easy enough to let the players grow and gel.

It just never ends.

Are there EVER any positives out there?

Ahhh.... But that is the era/life we live in... the endless "nitpick and gotchya". I am getting weary of it. Not sure if I give a crap so much about EVERYBODY'S frickin opinion.

[squirrel]

C'mon Squirrel... I was at both too. Both games rocked.

Maybe the final 5 minutes of both those games is more remembered..... we rocked and roared vs Mich St but came up short and the crowd lost it's intensity as it came closer to the end. But the Ohio game was more electric/explosive in the final 5 minutes and then approaching the final ticks of the clock. And we are talking about a difference of 5000 fans in the house.

Yea - a tourney you didn't care for and all it did was allow J Les and BU get to 21 wins (again).

Yea... the home Non-con is lack-luster this season. But WHY do we ALWAYS have to find the negative on EVERYTHING?

We make it too hard, we get crushed, limp into conference play and then we can moan about how we didn't make it easy enough to let the players grow and gel.

It just never ends.

Are there EVER any positives out there?.

Maybe. . .just maybe. . .I believe that any negative can be turned into an even greater positive.

As for the CBI, I was one of the few people that actually was tempered in excitement about it. . .I can never have too much basketball, plus, I knew a good run would put us in a VERY good position to re-claim our rightful spot amongst the Top 25 winningest programs all-time this season. So the argument I did not care for it is simply not true.

I did miss one CBI home game, but that had nothing to do with the tournament we were in but was rather the result of a concert I was obligated to well before (9 months to be exact) I had any idea we would still be playing in late March.

I am being criticized for having too unrealistic expectations of a 9-2 non-con this year, while stating I am both happy with our tournament and the volume of games away from home, in spite of the weak home game schedule.

Why do I always have to be considered a "Negative Nellie?"

[squirrel]

C'mon Squirrel... I was at both too. Both games rocked.

Maybe the final 5 minutes of both those games is more remembered..... we rocked and roared vs Mich St but came up short and the crowd lost it's intensity as it came closer to the end. But the Ohio game was more electric/explosive in the final 5 minutes and then approaching the final ticks of the clock. And we are talking about a difference of 5000 fans in the house.

Yea - a tourney you didn't care for and all it did was allow J Les and BU get to 21 wins (again).

Yea... the home Non-con is lack-luster this season. But WHY do we ALWAYS have to find the negative on EVERYTHING?

We make it too hard, we get crushed, limp into conference play and then we can moan about how we didn't make it easy enough to let the players grow and gel.

It just never ends.

Are there EVER any positives out there?.

Maybe. . .just maybe. . .I believe that any negative can be turned into an even greater positive.

As for the CBI, I was one of the few people that actually was tempered in excitement about it. . .I can never have too much college basketball, plus, I knew a good run would put us in a VERY good position to re-claim our rightful spot amongst the Top 25 winningest programs all-time this season. So the argument I did not care for it is simply not true.

I did miss one CBI home game, but that had nothing to do with the tournament we were in but was rather the result of a concert I was obligated to well before (9 months to be exact) I had any idea we would still be playing in late March.

I am being criticized for having too unrealistic expectations of a 9-2 non-con this year, while stating I am both happy with our tournament and the volume of games away from home, in spite of the weak home game schedule.

Why do I always have to be considered a "Negative Nellie" when the evidence is quite the opposite?

[MacabreMob]

................
As for the CBI, I was one of the few people that actually was tempered in excitement about it. . .I can never have too much basketball, plus, I knew a good run would put us in a VERY good position to re-claim our rightful spot amongst the Top 25 winningest programs all-time this season. So the argument I did not care for it is simply not true.

.................

Why do I always have to be considered a "Negative Nellie?"

Dude? Weren't you on the "side" of the only reason Bradley got to 21 wins was because of the extra games, thanks to the CBI? Then dwelling more on the number of losses Bradley had last season... maybe overshadowing the success Bradley enjoyed in the CBI.

Ahhh, I MUST be getting old.

[squirrel]

Dude? Weren't you on the "side" of the only reason Bradley got to 21 wins was because of the extra games, thanks to the CBI? Then dwelling more on the number of losses Bradley had last season... maybe overshadowing the success Bradley enjoyed in the CBI.

Ahhh, I MUST be getting old.

I was. . .our 21 win season simply wasn't impressive to me.

Our CBI run was a nice way to end the season that offered the benefits you mentioned, and I never criticized that.

I pointed out the same positives all along--although predominantly on the board where opinions tend to be more freely accepted. Some just chose not to see them. I can't help that.

But I'm not going to put a rose on a pile of poo and try to sell it as a rosebush. Although there were fewer thorns, it's still not something that is going to be palatable to many.

[MacabreMob]

....I pointed out the same positives all along--although predominantly on the board where opinions tend to be more freely accepted. Some just chose not to see them. I can't help that.

Then I apologize for not knowing how positive you were. I did not know you were "tempered in excitement".

Maybe you should share more of that positive view over here instead of just the negative view (only to be the voice of the "other opinion that needs/must be heard") and you wouldn't be viewed as a "negative Nellie" so much.

IMO, many here have no idea of and have no care for the other board. I am talking about (maybe) some posters, but many viewers (that don't post). They just wanna read about Bradley.... in mostly a positive way. They don't care what UIUC, ISU, SIU, etc fans think about whatever is going on in Peoria and Bradley. And they really don't like the negatives when they occur (which we all don't - right?). They wanna read positive stuff about how their team (Bradley) is doing. That's why (IMO) the other board has become something of just general discussion.

For all this.... I think I will buy the first pint this fall. I hope we can hook up for a jar... then again, looking at the schedule... are you going to any of the games? Just kidding!

[it's boogie time]

6000 BRADLEY FANS at the Ohio U game were louder than 11000 fans at a Bradley game playing Michigan State.

I've read this line about 10 times and my jaw is still open. There were plenty of non-conference games that you could have compared the small CBI crowd against, but MSU was not one of them. That was one of the best Bradley basketball atmospheres I have experienced.

The crowd tried to get into the Ohio game for the first thirty minutes, but the Bobcats played well and quieted the crowd. Then, Bradley went on a big run and the crowd went nuts. It was a lot of fun and a big relief since it looked like Ohio had control of the ballgame. That was quite a flury of threes by Bradley to extend the season and create the matchup against UVA.

[MacabreMob]

I've read this line about 10 times and my jaw is still open. There were plenty of non-conference games that you could have compared the small CBI crowd against, but MSU was not one of them. That was one of the best Bradley basketball atmospheres I have experienced.

The crowd tried to get into the Ohio game for the first thirty minutes, but the Bobcats played well and quieted the crowd. Then, Bradley went on a big run and the crowd went nuts. It was a lot of fun and a big relief since it looked like Ohio had control of the ballgame. That was quite a flury of threes by Bradley to extend the season and create the matchup against UVA.

You know what Boogie Time - that's fine. But watch those games again 10 times each especially down the stretch and final 5 minutes.... and the outcome of the Ohio game and the crowd that roared it in outdoes the atmosphere of a loss to a Top 10 B10 team in the house every time.

Coming from a UIUC fan that went to the "show" to watch the trapeze artist fall when Bradley faced Mich St... your schadenfreude response does not surprise me.

[BradleyBrave]

UW-M might as well be in Chicago. BU should still get a BIG Chi-town Alum turnout for this game.

There should be with the game being on a Saturday night, but it's still a couple of hours from Chicago (construction on 294 and 94 make the 90 mile drive a bit longer). If we were playing at Marquette, there would be a TON of BU folks heading up for that marquee matchup. I am not sure the lowly UW-M Panthers will garner as much interest. It's too bad that we don't have a Chicago game this year, this is the first time in a while that we haven't made at least one appearance.

[Rusty 54]

There should be with the game being on a Saturday night, but it's still a couple of hours from Chicago (construction on 294 and 94 make the 90 mile drive a bit longer). If we were playing at Marquette, there would be a TON of BU folks heading up for that marquee matchup. I am not sure the lowly UW-M Panthers will garner as much interest. It's too bad that we don't have a Chicago game this year, this is the first time in a while that we haven't made at least one appearance.

Theres a few of us students that are going to try this roadtrip as well.

[squirrel]

There should be with the game being on a Saturday night, but it's still a couple of hours from Chicago (construction on 294 and 94 make the 90 mile drive a bit longer). If we were playing at Marquette, there would be a TON of BU folks heading up for that marquee matchup. I am not sure the lowly UW-M Panthers will garner as much interest. It's too bad that we don't have a Chicago game this year, this is the first time in a while that we haven't made at least one appearance.

I just don't get this fascination to have a Chicago-area game every year.

Yes, I understand the benefits. . .it's a key market for us, large alumni base, yada yada yada. . .but I view that as just another way in which we are limiting ourselves and our scheduling possibilities.

Since the 2004-05 season, we've played 7 games in Chicago over 4 years. The schedule needs to become more national and less regional. Loyola can be a game every other year, even though it's not the sexiest opponent, it's an important, long-standing, and historically interesting non-con rivalry. And since I doubt DePaul will play us again any time soon and UIC doesn't deserve our fans or money after the shenanigans they pulled last year, and we have no business going to Chicago State. . .that leaves the CCI, a neutral court game someplace up there, or NIU.

I just don't think it's necessary every year.

Why not try to get a neutral court game for our alums in St. Louis, Memphis, Des Moines, Indy, or Nashville for example?

[BradleyBrave]

I just don't get this fascination to have a Chicago-area game every year.

Yes, I understand the benefits. . .it's a key market for us, large alumni base, yada yada yada. . .but I view that as just another way in which we are limiting ourselves and our scheduling possibilities.

Since the 2004-05 season, we've played 7 games in Chicago over 4 years. The schedule needs to become more national and less regional. Loyola can be a game every other year, even though it's not the sexiest opponent, it's an important, long-standing, and historically interesting non-con rivalry. And since I doubt DePaul will play us again any time soon and UIC doesn't deserve our fans or money after the shenanigans they pulled last year, and we have no business going to Chicago State. . .that leaves the CCI, a neutral court game someplace up there, or NIU.

I just don't think it's necessary every year.

Why not try to get a neutral court game for our alums in St. Louis, Memphis, Des Moines, Indy, or Nashville for example?

Gotta disagree here. I don't think one game a year in our largest and closest alumni base (not to mention one of the largest recruiting bases in the nation) is limiting the program whatsoever. I can say for a fact that the Bradley name has become a LOT more prevalent in Chicago over the last few years, due in large part to the games we've played AND won against Chicago-area teams. Obviously the overall success of the program has played a large part as well, but good showings in Chicago has increased interested and encouraged quite a few Chicago-area alums to not only go out and see their Braves when they're in Chicago, but also encouraged them to make a trip to Peoria. Jim Les wanted Chicago to be a priority when he took over, and it has been. We already play every year in St. Louis and Des Moines, and have an ongoing series with Indy-based Butler. I am not sure how many alums we really have in Memphis or Nashville, so I don't really see the argument against Chicago there.

[squirrel]

That attitude is the sole reason we have Milwaukee on the schedule this year.

I don't disagree with your points.

But Chicago is a nicety, not a necessity.

[Da Coach]

BU will try to continue having at least one game in Chicago every year. There are as many BU grads in the Chicago area as there are in Peoria, and they are great supporters of the team.

I can understand some fan's criticism of some parts of Bradley's scheduling over the past few years, but this part is hard to understand.
It has been claimed that BU has "played 7 games in Chicago in 4 years" since the 2004-2005 season. This claim is a bit specious. One of those games was a required game as a return for a BracketBuster game and it was in Dekalb, not Chicago, 2 were against non-Chicago based BCS opponents as part of an exempt tournament (which didn't limit Bradley's other scheduling), 1 was against DePaul, a Big East opponent which I have never heard anyone complain about, and the other 2 were against Loyola and UIC as part of home and home arrangements
.
Here are the games in or near Chicago since 2004-2005. If anyone sees games here that Bradley should not be playing, please let me know.

2004-05-- Bradley played Northern Illinois at Dekalb. Not Chicago. And, this was the return game from the BracketBuster game the previous year. It is not exactly fair to hold Bradley responsible for scheduling this game, since they had absolutley nothing to do with it. Bradley was required to pay this return visit to NIU as an agreement with the BracketBuster. Criticizing this would be like criticizing Bradley for taking an RPI hit for playing a game each year at Evansville.
2005-06-- Played at DePaul as part of a home and home, which Bradley swept.
also played at Loyola as part of a home and home agreement with them.
2006-07-- Played 2 games in Hoffman Estates in the Chicago Invitational Challenge tournament. The first game was against Big East opponent Rutgers (not a Chicago area team). And the second game was against Big Ten opponent Illinois. These 2 games were exempt from the total number of games the NCAA limits teams in scheduling, because of the tournament format. Therefore they did not limit Bradley's scheduling other non-conference games. Also, Bradley was not guaranteed they would play Illinois, they could have played Ohio is they had lost the 1st game against Rutgers. What about these 2 games could anyone find fault with?
2007-08-- games at UIC and Loyola- both as part of home and home deals with those 2 teams.